State news briefs

ABOUT 1,000 ACRES BURNED IN SEQUOIA FIRE: SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST (AP) — Afternoon winds are being blamed for helping a wildfire burning in a remote area of the Sequoia National Forest nearly double in size.

U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Denise Alonzo says the winds Sunday afternoon pushed the fire over control lines, helping it expand to more than 1,000 acres. Earlier Sunday the fire had consumed about 522 acres.

About 250 firefighters are battling the blaze, which was first reported around 4 p.m. Friday. No structures are threatened by the blaze.

The wildfire has crossed Lloyd Meadow Road, a dead-end road that provides access to two trailheads into the Golden Trout Wilderness area, a remote area that spans both sides of the Sierra crest.

The exact cause of the fire is under investigation, but officials have determined it was caused by a human, though it's not known if the fire was sparked accidentally.

OFFICER SHOT AT WHILE DRIVING ON LA FREEWAY: LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say a Los Angeles police officer was shot at as he drove home from work.

The Los Angeles Times reports someone in a black sedan opened fire on the officer's car early Sunday in the northbound lanes of the 5 Freeway near Los Feliz Boulevard.

Multiple shots were fired. The bullets struck the side panel of the car but the officer was not hit.

The freeway was temporarily shut down as police looked for shell casings and other evidence.

The Times says the officer works for the LAPD's Gang and Narcotics Division.

POLICE SAY 25 GUNS TURNED OVER IN OAKLAND BUYBACK: OAKLAND (AP) — Oakland police say 25 guns were turned in Saturday as part of a buyback program intended to get guns off the streets.

Police spokesman Johnna Watson says most of the guns handed over were handguns, but that two sawed-off shotguns and some were rifles were also turned over to police. Those who gave up their guns were given $100 gift cards.

Watson says the weapons will be destroyed.

The buyback program comes after law enforcement officials announced last week that they had seized 92 firearms and arrested 90 people as part of a crackdown on crime in Oakland that began in February.

Called "Operation Gideon III," the crackdown was a combined effort by special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Oakland police and other agencies targeting violent criminals.

NO DAMAGE AFTER 3.5 QUAKE HITS SOUTH OF SAN JOSE: MORGAN HILL (AP) — Authorities say there are no reports of damage or injuries after a 3.5 magnitude earthquake rattled an area south of San Jose.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake hit at 10:31 a.m. Sunday about 15 miles southeast of San Jose, or about nine miles north of Morgan Hill.

Though the USGS says they had reports of the quake being felt throughout the South Bay area, a dispatcher with the Morgan Hill Police Department says they received no calls about the earthquake.

LAPD OFFICER FINDS ELDERLY MOTHER SHOT TO DEATH: LOS ANGELES (AP) — The mother of a Los Angeles Police officer has been found shot to death.

Officer Cleon Joseph, a department spokesman, said the elderly woman was found inside her South Los Angeles home around noon Sunday.

Joseph said police had no suspect information and did not know the motive for the attack.

Capt. Dennis Kato told KABC-TV that the officer made the gruesome discovery. Kato said the officer was "really grieving" and didn't want to leave the crime scene while his colleagues conduct their investigation.

The news station reports that the officer is a department veteran who trains recruits at the police academy.